Flickering lights, power surges and frequent outages have become a growing problem for Houston residents. New data shows CenterPoint Energy, the utility responsible for keeping the lights on, had the worst performance of any utility in the country during October.
Investigative reporter Amy Davis is tracking the outages and mapping the trouble spots across Houston to show where power issues are most severe. The outage data is updated monthly to help customers see if service improves as CenterPoint raises electric rates.
Repeat power outages cause frustration
Tyler Steer of Pecan Grove summed up the frustration: “It seems like there’s a problem that everybody knows about — but nobody can explain why.”
Chester Cassel of Klein said, “We know the one thing we can expect, we’re gonna lose power.”
In August, neighborhoods in Klein were among the worst in Greater Houston for power outages.
Some areas in Houston did improve
New data from Whisker Labs shows power reliability improved drastically in September for areas like Pecan Grove and Klein.
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But in October, outages surged again, putting CenterPoint back on top for the highest number of power outages nationwide.
RELATED: KPRC 2 Investigates repeat power outages
The hardest-hit areas in October were north of Houston.
- Stagecoach and Magnolia neighborhoods saw some homes experience more than eight outages in one month.
- Augusta Creek Estates in Spring had more than 12 outages in 31 days.
- In Lake Houston’s 77336 ZIP code, some customers had 11 outages.
Whisker Labs tracks every power outage, from flickers to hours-long blackouts, using sensors installed in homes.
Bob Marshall of Whisker Labs said, “Our objective is to help utilities. We got a very unique and powerful data set. And our objective is to help them understand where there are challenges on the grid.”
CenterPoint disputed Whisker Labs’ August numbers but has not agreed to meet with 2 Investigates or Whisker Labs to review detailed street-level data.
Marshall added, “There’s no other reason that we’re collecting this data other than to help homeowners and to help utilities better understand where there’s challenges on the grid and how we can collectively help to make it better.”
Without this broader data, power issues can seem anecdotal and isolated.
Residents have reported problems ranging from faulty CenterPoint equipment causing power surges and property damage in Pearland to unexplained ongoing outages in Huffman and Sugar Land.
Ashley Flores said, “We noticed it right away. I mean it was almost daily, if not weekly.”
Sanford Siegel added, “And you don’t get any answers from them. You just get their standard spiel.”
You can write to lawmakers about your power outage issues
When a 2 Investigates photojournalist experienced flickering lights and five outages in 10 days, he contacted State Senator Lois Kolkhorst about concerns over damage to appliances and electrical systems.
A CenterPoint employee visited the home on Nov. 17 but arrived without a truck or equipment and gave no real explanation. No follow-up from CenterPoint occurred.
CenterPoint Energy emailed the following statement when we asked why outages were so high in October:
Response to your question regarding temporary service interruptions cited from October:
We understand how important reliable service is to our customers, and we never want anyone to be without power. That’s why CenterPoint Energy is investing heavily in strengthening the grid through our Greater Houston Resiliency Initiative, launched last year. These efforts are already making a difference, helping reduce total customer outage minutes by approximately 40% this year compared to 2024.
In most cases, the October service interruptions you referenced lasted less than a minute and were primarily caused by weather, including lightning and high winds.
Response to your question regarding our on-site inspection in Sugar Land:
All of us at CenterPoint are committed to providing the highest level of service and addressing concerns safely and as quickly as possible. After an increase in momentary service interruptions near (our photojournalists’ home), our Senior Service Consultant for the Sugar Land service territory, conducted two on-site inspections of the circuit serving this community, on Nov. 17 and again on Nov. 25. During these inspections, our CenterPoint team member identified areas of vegetation that could pose a risk near power lines. These areas have been scheduled for additional inspection and trimming by our vegetation management team.
Residents experiencing frequent outages are encouraged to:
- File complaints with the Public Utility Commission (PUC)
How to check power outages in your area
Data source: Ting by Whisker Labs. Get outage alerts for your home free in the Ting app.
KPRC 2 Investigates will continue tracking these outages monthly to identify patterns and push for answers about power reliability issues affecting Houston-area residents.